Dairy & Eggs · 20 foods

Cheese Storage Times

How long cheese last on the counter, in the fridge and in the freezer — opened and unopened. Sourced from USDA FoodKeeper, last verified November 2026.

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20 of 20 foods · sorted A–Z

	Counter		Fridge (unopened)		Freezes well?
Brie	2 hours	1–2 weeks	—	6 months	Cooking only
Cheddar cheese	Refrigerate	3–4 weeks	6 months	6 months	Cooking only
Cheese curds	Not recommended	2 weeks	—	4 months	Cooking only
Cheese slices (processed)	Not recommended	3–4 weeks	—	Not recommended	No
Cottage cheese	2 hours	1 week	2 weeks	Not recommended	No
Cream cheese	2 hours	2 weeks	—	Not recommended	No
Goat cheese	2 hours	1–2 weeks	—	6 months	Cooking only
Hard cheese	Refrigerate	3–4 weeks	6 months	6 months	Cooking only
Nacho cheese	2 hours	2 weeks	2 years (pantry)	3 months	Cooking only
Parmesan cheese	Refrigerate	3–4 weeks	6 months	6 months	Cooking only
Parmesan cheese (grated)	Not recommended	12 months	—	Not recommended	No
Pimento cheese	2 hours	4 weeks	Use-by date	Not listed	—
Quark	2 hours	7–10 days	—	Not listed	—
Ricotta	2 hours	1 week	2 weeks	Not recommended	No
Shredded cheese	Not recommended	1 month	—	3–4 months	Cooking only
Shredded mozzarella	Not recommended	1 month	—	3–4 months	Cooking only
Soft cheese	2 hours	1–2 weeks	—	6 months	Cooking only
String cheese	Not recommended	5 months	—	Not listed	—
Swiss cheese	Refrigerate	3–4 weeks	6 months	6 months	Cooking only
Vegan cheese	Refrigerate	3–7 days	4 months	Not listed	—